Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-04-09
HE HAS RIS EN-"

"HE HAS RISEN"
castor sunday-The Origin of ITS Obser-
vsnce-Hotw 1t Was Celebrated by Tho
EARLY Christians Tho Use OF Eggs oa
That Day.
Tomorrow the Church will throw of
Iss robes Uf mourning and christians Of
all denominations will join in glad an
bems to com mmemorAte The resurrection.
From the extreme north to the far
south, from east to west, wherever the
light OF christianity has shone the
words will 20 forth, 81 He nas Risen."
Easter IL the most venerable and ancient
Of all the festivals OF the Church. and
on this day every member of the Catho
lie, Episcopalian or Lutheran Church,
is bound TO receive the SACRAMENT Of the
body and blood of Christ.
Even the children in France, after |
having been taught the ten command
mentv, are instructed in the command.
ment OF the church. Every Easter
thou shalt take the sacrament" Easter, |
as is well known, 10 always celebrated
ON the Sunday next after the nearest
full moon to the vernal equinox, which
this year falls on April 10th. The jews
also celebrate the passover at about the
same time, because 1t was at to Veynal
90 uinox that the children, OF Israel
came out Of Egypt.
A feas. WAS also celbbre.sd about tAiR
time OF the year by tbs ancient ESyp
tisrs, becsuEe tho Nile at that st asou
arrived at the orisi8 of inundatiop. and
the people fancied that its hrtiiizipg
waters flowed down !rcm The throne OF
their God, that is from the suo aSen
In the constellation of Tarius.
3. ne Persiaps, the Pteniclans I'D all
nations on the basin OF the Maettosra'
mean kept this feast IN token slt their
ljoy, because the winter was oCc2 and
1.-The GUNNER nigh at hand Among the
PsrsiAns the Sun. god WAS called Nit
terra, and according TO their traditions
he was not only born on ths same day
las Christ, but died, was buried aud
Iraised from the dead, the priests tel ing
. the people that bis death aud resnrrec
ton had brought salvation to them.
. Oonst quently the Persians celebrate q
d festival at the vernal equinox, the pricr
/. Icipal feature OF which is the breaking z
, and distribution Of bread.
The name Easter is from the Saxon
B goddess Osters, whose worship con-
timed 70 be celebrated in many parts
of Germany down to the begin ming OF
the present century, by the k.pdling OF
: bop Bres and In other ways. Tbs Gus
tom was introduced into England by
! | the Saxons, but in later years was
o lchanged TO the christian festival.
a Easter has been called the Christian
}. Passover, and while the church has, as
-Ialways, been q unit ~ to why Eastel
q should be celebrated, there has beer
y considerable difference OF opinion II
n reg ard to the proper time for its obs. Nv
70 lance. This discussion was sp.eIed h
,ol she Council Of Nice, 1876 a. D whioi
'tidec,md that IT sa0gls ho celebrated o,
1.-THE first Sunday aisgi ssf The sail moon
d which happens on or next after the 2ls
a lof March, bat II this full moon shoult
D. fall on Sunday, Easter will thea be OF
10 the next Sunday after.
leI Among the early Christians Eastt
II WAS preceded BY fasting on one ds.
d only, that being on Good Friday, but ii
d time that was extended to forty hours
to in token of the time Christ had been il
" the tomb, and from this IL was pre-
,e longed TO forty days, known as Isn't. I
De com memoration Of the temptation i
1.-The wilderness. at first all the Gel,
ct monies attending Easter were exceed
of ingly simple, but in the Fourth cs,
ht tury Constantine insueurated its cell
y. bration with extraordinary pomp. TT
as night before Easter the people rem aiue
i'd In the churches until midnight, an
90 huge wax candles burned all night.
gs Various ceremonies have, in tint
past, characterized the day, and man
OF the old Easter customs are sti
practiced in different parts OF Il
world. One OF the most plels'nn Gu
toms is that Of the Chil.tianH In Jatus
ty lem, who repair to the Garden of Getl
ssmane and ho d religious service
Easter Sunday 10 ushered Ia at Rom
by the firing Of cannon and the Singir
OF bells. Early in the morning IL
Ipeopie commence to throDR 20 s
o, Peters, which is richly decorated, IL
Il the lights around the tomb of st. Pete
u. blazing, presenting a grand and hewil,
v, eripg scene. The Pope hi ns self otficiat,
i'd human skill cs: 9sy.se is brought int
requisition.
q, At the appointed hour ii.6 tt3 ears q
the Vatican bear the Pops on the
's st oulders into the church, wnile 0
It. each side Of him are carried large far
o. made OF ostrich and peacock feather
the eye like parts Of the latter bein
OF used as representation o! the vigilar
leyes of the Church He wears roun
~ silded cap on his head, in the Tor u OF
triple crown, sisnifying spiritual an
ry temporal power, ana the union OF bot
at U ppn reaching the church he is place
under rich canopy of silk, and afle
. the mass he Is carried to balcony owe
ID the csntral doorw way, where he pronour
COS b nediction with indu &c noes an
!. absolution.
ioI In Russia 1t is the custom to salut
~ levsry one met on Easter morning witt
the words Christ Is risen"; the repl,
J. being, He Is risen indeed" rhe da,
'e is al 80 cele brated In the churches will
10 great pomp and ceremony. In thi
:. lcountry the day is generally observe,
~ by christians OF all denominations. ant
It Iservices appropriate to the occasion ar,
held in almost every church.
The use OF colored eggs at this season
lorlginsted among the early christian
3 in Messpotomis, where they were dyet
q 81 ed at the crucifixion. In France egg
n or some article shaped like an egg ar
IL used as presents among friends, anC
is among a people az ingenious as th'
D. French the opportunity is not lost o
,r Icor strucling these egg-shaped gifts from
d almost all kinds of material, and som,
lof which ars very expensive, Eggs ar
d Ialso used as presents in some parts 0
d England, and the young people of Scot
% land still find pleasure in pelting eacl
10 Iother with hard boiled, colored eggs. IL
., Italv the eggs are taken to the churcl
|, lon Easter Eve. where they are blesset
1t by prayers, the sign of the cross ant
I. lsprinkiing with holy water.
al The egg seems to be recoRniz zed ss th
!. most proper EN- 6lem for US in celebrat
p ing this greatest OF all the great event